Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Diaz's bullpen role will be more "fluid" for the near future, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.
The 30-year-old surrendered four runs in his third blown save of the season Saturday and admitted that his confidence is down with seven runs allowed in his past three outings, so the Mets won't rely on him to be their primary closer for a bit. Diaz is still viewed as the club's closer long term but is now likely to see some lower-leverage work in an attempt to get him back on track. Adam Ottavino and Reed Garrett are the likely candidates to step in for save chances in the meantime.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Melts down in Miami
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Diaz allowed four runs on four hits while recording just one out in Saturday's loss to the Marlins.
The Mets handed the ball to Diaz with a four-run advantage in the bottom of the ninth inning. He permitted a leadoff double and watched that run come around on a one-out single. Another single put two runners on and Josh Bell cashed in when he sent a ball 428 feet to center field for a three-run homer. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pulled Diaz at that point. While this didn't officially go down as a blown save, it continued an ugly stretch for Diaz, who has allowed 10 runs over his last eight appearances covering 8.1 frames. When asked after the game about a potential change at closer, Mendoza didn't dismiss it, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. Diaz himself even said he'd be open to working in low-leverage spots for a while as he tries to get back on track. If Mendoza does opt to switch things up, Reed Garrett and Adam Ottavino look to be the top candidates to step in at closer.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Another blown save
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Diaz blew the save Thursday against Philadelphia, allowing one run on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts over one inning.
Diaz inherited a one-run lead for the bottom of the ninth but was unable to convert his sixth save of 2024. Instead, Diaz walked Brandon Marsh and then allowed Marsh to reach second on a wild pitch before Bryson Stott hit an RBI single to send the game into extras. Diaz has blown three of his last four save chances and has allowed six runs over his last eight innings.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Struggles in blown save
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Diaz blew the save Monday against Philadelphia, allowing two runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter. He had one strikeout over one inning.
Diaz looked extremely unsettled Monday night, issuing his first free passes since April 20, ending a streak of eight walk-free innings. Even more indicative of his unsteady control, the Mets closer allowed the tying run to score by beaning Alec Bohm with the bases loaded. Despite the ugly outing Monday, Diaz is cemented as the Mets closer with his ERA standing at 3.24 over 16.2 innings.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Grabs win after Mets walk off
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Diaz (1-1) secured the win over Alanta on Sunday, tossing a perfect ninth frame while striking out a batter.
Diaz entered to begin the ninth with the Mets trailing 3-2 and wound up with the win thanks to a Brandon Nimmo two-run walk off homer in the bottom of the inning. He's bounced back with a save and a win in his last two outings after allowing three runs in his previous four innings. He's also struck out at least one batter in all 15 of his appearances thus far. For the year, Diaz owns a 2.30 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB in 15.2 innings.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Notches fifth save
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Diaz earned a save against the Cardinals on Monday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Diaz blew his first save of the season Sunday against Tampa Bay, but he went right back to work with the Mets holding a one-run ninth-inning lead a day later. The star closer didn't falter this time, retiring all three batters he faced on 11 pitches. The save was Diaz's fifth of the campaign and his first since April 15.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Surrenders game-tying homer
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Diaz blew the save Sunday against the Rays, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts over one inning.
Diaz was tagged for a solo home run by Randy Arozarena in the ninth frame, his second long ball allowed in three appearances. Diaz hasn't generated a save since April 15 and is now 4-for-5 on save chances this season with an overall ERA of 2.63 through 13.2 innings.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: First hiccup of 2024
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Diaz (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Cubs, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts across one inning.
Diaz spoiled Luis Severino's eight-inning gem, allowing a double to Mike Tauchman and a two-run home run to Christopher Morel in the final frame to put the Cubs ahead 3-1, where the score would remain. The loss was Diaz's first true blemish of the campaign, being a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances with no prior losses. His ERA jumped from 0.93 to 2.53 following Monday's contest and his WHIP sits at 0.94 through 10.2 innings.
Diaz walked two and struck out two in a scoreless two-thirds of an inning Saturday, recording his first hold of the season in a 6-4 win over the Dodgers.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza called on his closer to protect a two-run lead with one on and one out in the eighth inning, but Diaz walked the bases loaded before escaping the jam, needing 20 pitches (nine strikes) to do it. As a result, Reed Garrett came on in the ninth and struck out the side to secure the save. Diaz has yet to have an appearance of longer than one inning this season, so it's not clear if Mendoza would have allowed the right-hander to try and get more than three outs had the eighth gone smoothly. Either way, Diaz remains the team's clear closer and sports a 1.17 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12:4 K:BB through his first 7.2 innings this season.
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Mets' Edwin Diaz: Working on mechanics
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Diaz attributes his early-season velocity drop to his mechanics being a little off after he missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.
The right-hander has averaged 96.6 mph with his four-seam fastball through his first seven appearances this season, down from the 99.1 mph he averaged in 2022 and even the 98.1 mph he averaged in April 2022. Diaz indicated Monday that he was pulling a bit to the first-base side with his delivery, something that seems like he should be able to correct fairly quickly. The velocity drop hasn't impacted his performance, as Diaz has converted all four of his save chances with an impressive 1.29 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB through seven innings.
Diaz picked up the save Monday against the Pirates. He pitched one shutout inning, allowing no hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
Diaz posted his second save in as many days, using 18 pitches to close out the Pirates. The 30-year-old reliever bounced back Monday to fire a scoreless inning after yielding a home run Sunday. Diaz has returned to his role as an elite closer with a 1.29 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 10:2 KK:BB over his first seven innings.
Diaz allowed a run on one hit while striking out one batter Sunday. He picked up a save over the Royals in one inning of work.
Diaz was tasked with protecting a 2-0 lead and closed the door despite coughing up a two-out solo shot to Vinnie Pasquantino. Through six innings, Diaz owns an impressive 9:1 K:BB while giving up just one earned run and converting all three of his save chances. The homer he allowed Sunday was the first hit against him since his season debut March 30.
